


Dungeons and Dark Ones

by brokenmimir



Series: Swan Queen Week Winter 2016 [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Swan Queen Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-15 02:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5767807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenmimir/pseuds/brokenmimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Swan Queen Week Winter 2016, Prompt 3: Greed<br/>Emma Swan, Expert Treasure Hunter, joins an adventuring party as they search for the lost Tomb of the Dark One.  Will they find riches or doom in darkest of all dungeons?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dungeons and Dark Ones

“How, exactly, do you get yourself into these situations?” Regina asked.

Emma grimaced slightly before tilting her head back and giving Regina her most charming smile. “Hey.”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me, Swan,” Regina spat. “How did you survive this long?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Emma demanded, twisting slightly. She had been exploring ahead of the others when she’d stepped on a hidden switch causing the ground to give way and dropping her into a spike filled pit. Fortunately she’d landed on some kind of thick white material that kept her suspended above her certain death. Unfortunately the material was sticky and she hadn’t been able to free herself before Regina arrived.

“You’re supposed to find traps so that we don’t stumble on them and all get killed,” Regina said.

“See, I’m doing my job,” Emma said innocently. “There’s a pit trap here.”

“Lovely,” Regina said. “What would we do without you.”

“Stumble into pit traps as a group, probably,” Emma said. “Now, are you going to get me out of here, or are you going to just stand there being annoyed all day? Without fire!”

“Fine,” Regina sniffed disdainfully, closing her fist to quench the flames in her hand. “But I’m not touching whatever that stuff is.”

“Where are the others?” Emma asked.

Regina glanced behind her. “About the time you screamed-”

“I didn’t _scream_ ,” Emma objected. “I... shouted. In a very tough, adventurous fashion.”

“Yes, well, after your terrified, girlish _shout_ a group of kobolds ambushed us,” Regina said. “The others are finishing up.”

“Without you?” Emma said. “You ran ahead to check on me?”

Regina rolled her eyes again. “Don’t read too much into it. I merely wanted to assure myself that we wouldn’t need to find another thief-”

“Treasure Hunter!” Emma interjected. “I’m an Expert Treasure Hunter.”

“-who could get past all of these kobold traps,” Regina finished. “Although, given that your usual method of finding them seems to be triggering them, I’m not sure why I’m bothering.”

“You cared,” Emma said smugly.

“Emma?” Snow called. “Are you alright?”

“Just fine,” Emma said. “Just, you know, hangin’. Waiting for someone to come along and save me.”

“What is that stuff?” Charming asked. He knelt down beside the pit and poked at a strand with his sword. The magic blade easily cut through a thin section, and with a clever flick of his wrist he managed to get some wrapped around the tip of the blade to examine. “It... looks like spider web.”

“I’m fairly certain that’s because it is spider web,” Robin said slowly as he drew his bow. “Emma, I would advise not moving.”

“Whoa!” Emma yelped, eyes wide. “What are you doing?”

“Emma,” Regina’s voice was tight as she spoke very softly. “Don’t move.”

Emma gulped and tensed, but stayed still as she felt the strands she was stuck to vibrate slightly. “What’s happening?”

Robin fired an arrow which crunched into a target. The web shook frantically for a moment before becoming still again. “Was that the only one?” he asked.

“Only what?” Emma squeaked.

“Emma, we’ll get you right out of there,” Snow said. “We need some rope and something to cut the strands with...”

“Just get out of the way, Snow,” Regina snapped. “Don’t move, Swan. Robin, cut the strands she’s stuck to on three.”

“Of course, m’lady,” Robin answered cheerfully, knocking another arrow to his bow.

“Um, Regina... there are spikes in this pit,” Emma pointed out.

“One, two, three,” Regina counted. Emma shrieked as Robin fired four quick arrows, cutting her free and sending her falling towards the spikes. Just before she hit them she felt her momentum stop and she slowly began to rise into the air. Looking back she smiled when she saw how cute Regina looked as she concentrated on lifting Emma with her magic.

When she reached the level of the pit Charming reached out and grabbed her, pulling her onto solid ground. “Are you alright?” Snow asked, examining her for wounds.

“Just fine, Snow,” Emma said with a smile, which fell when she finally took another look into the pit. Dangling from its own web was a spider the size of a horse, a single arrow protruding from the back of its head. It must’ve been no more than a foot away from her when Robin killed it. “That’s a big spider."

“And yet another reason to actually do your job instead of bumbling into traps,” Regina pointed out.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Kobolds are really good at making traps, okay? It’s not easy finding them all, but no one’s been hurt.”

“Look, why don’t we all take a break?” Snow interjected. “Killian found an empty room we can secure.”

“We’ve been in this dungeon for twelve hours,” Regina objected. “Unless you intend to spend the night, we need to keep moving.”

“Spending the night might not be a bad idea,” Snow mused. “I think we’re all tired, and we’ll be fresh and ready to cleanse this den of evil after some shut eye.”

“Of course, because it makes so much sense to get some ‘shut eye’ in a den of evil,” Regina mocked. “I can’t imagine that causing any problems.”

“I don’t see why you’d object to it, isn’t that what people call your home?” Charming said.

“Hey now, that was uncalled for,” Robin interjected.

“Oh, shut it, forester,” Regina growled, stalking away in the direction they’d come from.

“Ranger,” he said as he followed after her. “A forester is a very different thing.”

“Save it for someone who cares.”

“Well, this is fun,” Emma said.

Snow smiled at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just my pride hurts,” Emma said. “Although I won’t say no to getting a rest.”

The three of them made their way to the rest of the group. The room Killian had found was fairly large, with poorly finished walls and a door made of solid stone. Once closed it blended nicely with the wall, only revealing its presence by the arch shaped cracks barely visible in the flickering torchlight.

“How’d you like it, love,” Killian asked, waving a hand at the open room.

“It’s... empty,” Emma said dubiously.

“You say that like it isn’t a big deal, but at least we aren’t fighting off monsters then dragging their carcasses away to find a place to setup for the night,” he said.

Emma wrinkled her nose. “Good point.”

Emma was still new to the group, so she simply set her pack down at the far end of the room and laid out the thin bedroll for her to use for the night. The others set to work, Robin and Killian setting up a fire, Charming preparing a dusty corner to use as a latrine, and Snow setting out the cooking pot to try to convert the hardtack, dried vegetables, fruit leather, and jerky into a hot meal. Regina walked over to the stone door and place her hands on it, muttering under her breath. A flicker of purple light suddenly outlined the doorway, and glowing runes marked the center of the door.

“Anything I can do to help?” Emma asked Snow.

“Not yet,” she answered. “Unless you’re any good with cooking?”

“Not if you don’t want me to burn water,” Emma said.

Snow chuckled. “We’ll keep that talent in mind if we run into a water weird, but I think I’ve got this.”

An hour later everyone had taken a few moments to setup their own sleeping areas, and the food, while not overly enticing looking, was hot and served. Emma had missed too many meals in her life to complain, and so set about eating it with a will, although she took a moment to chuckle at the disgruntled expression on Regina’s face over the taste.

“Alright, based on the maps we bought from Neal-” Charming started.

“Wait, you bought a map off of Neal?” Emma interrupted. “Are you crazy?”

“He’s helped us before,” Snow defended.

“He’s a two bit thief,” Emma said. “I can’t believe you’d trust something from him.”

“Aren’t you a thief, Swan?” Regina asked.

Emma huffed. “Expert Treasure Hunter. And trust me, I know the difference between slime and skill, and he’s all slime. Best case scenario he stole the map from someone, and knows nothing useful about it. Worst case he forged it.”

“That may be the case,” Charming said. “But it doesn’t matter. If there’s even a chance this will work, we have to take it. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Don’t worry love,” Killian said. “Even if this isn’t the proper Tomb of the Dark One, we’ve already found enough treasure to turn a tidy bit of profit from the venture.”

“Wait, Tomb of the Dark One?” Emma asked. “As in, the ancient trap filled tomb of the immortal Dark One? Why in the world would you want to go there?”

“We’re going there because a seer told us that if unstopped he could rise again,” Snow said. “Supposedly he has a phylactery hidden here. If we can destroy it, he’ll finally die for good, and everyone will be safe from his evil.”

“Also, its supposed to be full of treasure he hid away long ago,” Killian said. “We’ll be rich enough to retire even splitting it between us.”

“It’s not about the money,” Snow said virtuously.

“In that case, we can split it fewer ways,” Killian said with grin.

Snow kept a straight face for a moment before grinning. “I didn’t say that. Just because it’s not about the treasure doesn’t mean the treasure isn’t worth having!”

“Here, here love,” Killian said, saluting her with a flask he’d pulled from under his leather jack.

“Look, I hate to burst your bubble, but these caves are obviously kobold work,” Emma said. “The Dark One would have way more defenses than these over his resting place.”

“Well, according to the map-” Charming began.

“The map you got from _Neal_ ,” Emma emphasized.

“That map, yes,” Charming agreed. “Supposedly, the kobold tribe accidentally opened a way into the tomb. According to the map we should reach the entrance soon.”

Emma bit her lip before sighing. “Fine. I still think this is all a really bad idea.”

“Possibly, but isn’t that what being an adventurer is all about?” Robin asked. “Walking foolishly into dangerous places, slaying terrible evils before they can attack the innocents of the surface world, and making a fortune along the way?”

“To smiting evil!” Charming offered, raising his wineskin.

“To getting bloody filthy rich from evil treasure!” Killian added, clinking his flask to the wineskin.

Emma chuckled, feeling herself get caught up in the excitement. “How much are we talking here?”

“Well, the Dark One had an army of ogres pillaging all the kingdoms for decades before he was brought low by the Sorcerer, and most of that wealth was never found,” Killian said. “We should all walk out of here with a fortune even split eight ways.”

“I wanted to ask about that,” Emma said. “Why did the contract you had me sign say I’d get one eighth of the treasure, when there’s only six of us.”

“Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but running an adventuring party can be a bit expensive,” Robin said. “Travel, supplies, healing, and, if the worst should happen, funerary expenses. We also maintain a buffer of money to cover emergencies. If we ever formally end our company the remainder of that money is split evenly between us.”

“Don’t worry, love,” Killian said. “An eighth of a fortune is still a fortune.”

Emma smiled at that. “Yeah. I can think of a few things to do with a piece of a fortune.”

“Oh?” Killian asked. “I’ve got plans myself. I’ve always wanted to be captain of my own ship. Not too much longer and I’ll be able to buy one outright and head out to sea. Any interest in joining me, love?”

“No thanks,” Emma said, wrinkling her nose. “I’ve never even gotten in a boat. I’ll pass.”

“You’d love it, just you, me, and my crew, sailing the high seas, taking us wherever the wind leads us...” Killian offered, wagging his eyebrows.

“Well, I for one am hoping this is a good pay out,” Robin said. “My wife and I have been talking about having a child, but I don’t want to until I can provide a stable future for us. I’ve been thinking about buying an inn in some nice, quiet town, and giving Marian the life she deserves.”

“What about the rest of you?” Emma asked curiously.

“Well, we tithe most of our share to the church,” Snow said. She was snuggled up against her husband, Charming. “We’ve talked about going to the frontier and building an outpost. We could keep fighting evil and retire that way. Maybe you’d want to build that inn in our town if we get enough money to build one?”

“Maybe so,” Robin said with a smile. “And if we don’t strike it that rich, I’ll at least let you all eat free at my inn.”

“What about you, Emma?” Snow asked. “What would you do if we strike it rich?”

Emma smiled. “Given my past experiences with money, I’ll probably blow all of it the minute I get it.”

“Here, here!” Killian approved, raising his flask again. “To the reason why even those of us with more modest dreams haven’t attained them in our time adventuring.”

“What about you?” Emma asked Regina. “What are you going to do with your fortune?”

“I’m not convinced there will be any kind of _fortune_ ,” Regina scoffed. “This is probably all just another kobold cave, but even if we do find the Dark One’s Tomb, it’s not the money I’m interested in. He was a mighty wizard, and I intend to find his spell books and magical tools. That’s worth more than any fortune.”

“So you wouldn’t mind me taking your share of the money, then?” Emma offered.

Regina gave her toothy smile. “Oh, no. Money isn’t as useful as magic, but it still has its uses.”

Emma chuckled, taking a swig from her own wineskin. They talked for a little longer after that, but eventually they all settled down on their own sleeping mats, curling under cloaks and blankets, and fell asleep, with Killian taking the first watch.

She jerked awake when Killian touched her shoulder, years of experience on the streets bringing a dagger into her hand before she’d even opened her eyes. He danced back from the weapon, hands raised and a disarming grin on his face. “Jumpy, love? If you’d like, I can stay up with you on watch. Keep each other warm.”

Emma snorted, a smirk crossing her face against her better judgement. “I’ll pass.”

“Ah, too bad,” Killian said. “Would you have said no if it was her royal grumpiness offering?”

“W-what?” Emma sputtered, hoping that he couldn’t tell that her cheeks had turned red in the ruddy firelight. “What are you talking about?”

“Just an observation,” he drawled. “You’ve not been with us long, but I can see the way your eyes follow her. Can’t say I blame you, much as it saddens me you’re eyes haven’t been boring into me that way. I do have to warn you though, you’re setting yourself up for grief. That one cares for nothing but power.”

Emma shook her head. “First of all, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Secondly, I’m not a child. If, _IF_ , I was interested it in her, that would be my business, not yours.”

He sighed, his face growing serious. “Look, love, you seem like a nice young thief-”

“Expert treasure hunter.”

“-and quick with a dagger and someone else’s pursestrings no doubt, but be careful, okay? Regina might not be as mean as she acts, although it’d be pretty hard to be that prickly without bein’ a manticore, but she’s got a lot of baggage. I don’t know the whole story, but her mother is some big name necromancer out in the east, and the way I heard it they had a disagreement involving turning Regina’s suitor into a zombie.”

“Should you really be telling me this?” Emma asked.

Killian frowned in though, before taking another swig from his ever present flask. “Probably not, no. But however hard she is to get along with, Regina’s been one of us since before even Robin joined, and I came in after him. It used to just be the Charmings, some shifter named Red, and Regina, and the rest of us have come and gone. The point is, I don’t want to see her get hurt. She’s been enough over the years.”

Emma nodded. “I won’t try to hurt her. Not that I’m saying I’m interested in her or anything. I’m just in this for my share of the treasure.”

“If you say so,” Killian agreed dubiously. “Just think on it. Anyway, it’s your watch. Wake up Charming in two hours, and give a yell if anything goes wrong. Nothin’s getting through the door without putting a noisy fight against that ward Regina cast, but that doesn’t mean danger can’t come some other way. You don’t make it as an adventurer long enough to make retirement plans without bein’ paranoid.”

Fortunately the night passed without incident, and in the morning Regina spent an hour pouring over her spellbook while Snow meditated to prepare her own magics. It was Robin’s turn to cook, which mostly consisted of heating up the remains of the previous night’s dinner, as well as breaking out more hardtack to go with it.

An hour later they’d fought off two more groups of kobolds, and Emma had managed to steer them around a dozen devious traps, saving them from poison darts, toxic gasses, falling in pits, jagged spikes, collapsing ceilings, and even being crushed by a huge boulder. She was just turning a corner while scouting when she found something of interest.

The hallway, which had been crudely carved in the typical kobold style, had been sealed by a huge stone door. Crudely etched runes left some kind of message on the door, although she couldn’t make out the meaning.

“Danger,” Regina said in her ear.

Emma jumped. “What?”

“The message,” Regina said. “It reads ‘danger’ in the script favored by kobolds.”

“You speak kobold?” Emma asked.

Regina shrugged. “They use a dialect derived from Draconic. Wizards have been using that language in their writings since the first spells were discovered.”

Charming and Killian pushed against the barrier, and with some grunting and swearing they finally forced it open, revealing a very different architecture in the cavern beyond. Instead of crudely worked stone, the walls and floor were elaborately carved with leering, skeletal visages whose eyes seemed to follow them in the flickering torchlight.

“Creepy,” Emma muttered.

“Definitely looks like something the Dark One would’ve built,” Charming said. “Regina?”

She walked into the hall beyond and nodded slowly. “Yes. Whether this is his actual tomb or not, this was definitely built by his forces.”

“So,” Emma said. “Which way do we go?”

While the kobold filled caverns had been full of enemies and traps, the new region was eerily still. The darkness was thick and oppressive, seeming to eat the light of the torches almost before they could illuminate the way, and sounds rarely echoed, with even their footsteps taking on a muffled quality, like something heard underwater. The farther they went the more Emma became convinced that becoming an adventurer was a bad idea. Most of the others appeared to feel the same.

When they reached a broad door Emma briskly searched it, before shaking her head at the others, as no trap was apparent. Everyone gripped their weapons and took deep breaths before slowly opening the door.

The room beyond glinted in the torchlight, and when they stepped inside none of them, not even Regina, could restrain an awed gasp at what they saw. The huge chamber was full of treasure. Piles of gold, mounds of silver, intricately carved bowls and vases filled with perfectly cut gemstones, and suits of fine armor and gleaming magic weapons scattered throughout. It was a mother load of treasure beyond any of their wildest imagination.

“Look at it all,” Killian whispered. “I could get a fleet of ships with my share.”

“Or a kingdom’s worth of inns,” Robin agreed.

Emma suddenly found herself laughing, the sound a little hysterical as she walked over to the closest mound of coins. With shaking fingers she picked up a gold coin, weighing it in her palm for a moment, before carefully biting it. Sure enough, it was solid gold. Not an illusion, or lead covered with a veneer. It was real.

“We’re rich!” Killain shouted, before diving into a pile of gold with a great whoop. The others followed moments later, and Emma found herself laughing as well as she tried to swim through the coins. It didn’t actually work, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. They were rich. _Rich._ She wouldn’t have to worry about being hungry ever again.

They were all playing with the treasure, laughing and enjoying themselves, when Emma noticed Regina had gone missing. After stuffing her pockets full of the biggest diamonds she’d ever seen she climbed on top of a tall pile of treasure and looked around the room, finally spotting the moody magic user against the far side of the room.

“What’d you find?” she asked as she came up behind the woman.

Regina grinned widely, her hand slowly stroking the cover of a thick, heavy black tome. “This is the Black Book. There are so many works of magic thought lost in this room...”

“You know, it almost seems too easy,” Emma said.

“What do you mean?” Regina asked, looking up.

“All of this treasure,” Emma said, waving a hand around. “Why isn’t it guarded. Why didn’t the kobolds just take it? They just sealed off the tunnel and left a warning. And why didn’t whoever made the map just steal it, too.”

Regina’s brow furrowed. “You’re right. This is-”

She was cut off by a sudden scream. They looked at each other and then ran as best they could across the top of the treasure to where the shouting was coming form. When they arrived they found Killian with an evil expression twisting his face, holding a bloody sword in one hand while Charming tried and failed to hold him at bay. Robin lay on the ground, bleeding, with Snow chanting prayer after prayer to heal his terrible wound.

“What is going on here,” Regina demanded. She placed the book in her belt pouch, which looked far too small to hold it yet somehow managed to do so without showing any signs of what it was holding.

“He went crazy and started attacking,” Charming grunted.

Emma slowly circled around the confrontation, her sword in hand as she looked for a way to help. Regina strolled up the fight, before waving a hand and speaking an incantation. Whatever it was supposed to do it failed, as Killian chuckled.

“That won’t work, dearie,” he drawled. “I’m not going to give up this little puppet so easily.”

“Who are you?” Regina demanded.

“You break into one of my smaller treasuries and don’t even know who I am?” the being using Killian asked. “I’m offended.”

“The Dark One,” Regina growled.

“Indeed,” he agreed. “And you are thieves.”

“We came here to stop you,” Snow said as she finally stood. She was covered in Robin’s blood, but the wounded man followed her to his feet. He was pale and shaky, but all that was left from what would have been a mortal injury was a long scar down his chest.

“You are thieves, and trespassers,” the Dark One said. “Lured in by the promise of ancient treasure from the many maps I let drift into the world.”

“You mean you let us find that map?” Robin asked. “Why?”

“There are a great many uses for foolish adventurers,” the Dark One said. “You’d be surprised how valuable fresh, but powerful bodies can be. Now, I advise you to surrender. You can’t hurt me, and even if you manage to kill this puppet, I’ll just destroy the rest of you, anyway.”

“Not a chance,” Regina snarled. She threw her hands out, a single word of power leaving her lips as bright, shimmering spells lit the room. With a contemptuous gesture Killian reflected the spell, and soon a full fledged mage duel commenced, with everyone else forced to dive for cover.

The air split as a Killian fired a bolt of lightning, and Regina responded with a ball of flame so hot that it melted a pile of gold into a molten pool. Back and forth the spells flew, and Emma was forced to watch, unable to help as the intensity kept ratcheting up and up. Finally, with a crazed giggle Killian gestured, the spell catching an exhausted Regina by surprise and sending her flying.

“Pathetic,” he cackled. “Is that all there is to a sorceress these days? One wordless spell and you’re sent flying? You don’t deserve to live.”

“She’s not alone,” Charming shouted, lunging sword first at Killian. The Dark One merely tutted like a disappointed school teacher, binding Charming in a wall of spiderweb before he could close. It was then that Emma saw it. Killian was holding a gemstone in his hand, and every time he used his magic it glowed faintly.

“Charming!” Snow shouted, running up to her husband while Robin fired off several arrows, none of which struck home, a magical barrier somehow deflecting each and every one of them.

Taking a deep breath Emma carefully stood, moving up behind the distracted Dark One while making as little sound as possible. Being an orphan on the streets made her grow up far too young, and she’d turned to crime to survive. She might’ve started calling herself an Expert Treasure Hunter, but for many years she’d been the best burglar in the entire Thieves’ Guild. She used those talents to walk over mounds of coin without making even a whisper of a sound, and she reached him just as he began to cackle and fire volleys of coruscating magical missiles.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you, deary?” he said suddenly, spinning to face her. She barely managed to parry a swipe from his sword, but then she stepped inside of his guard, twisting her blade and bringing it down towards his other hand. The shock of impact traveled up her arm as her blade cut through Killian’s wrist, and his scream of pain suddenly sounded like his own voice as he dropped his sword to clutch at the stump of his wrist.

“Boody hell!” he screamed, falling to his knees.

“Is that you, now?” Emma asked.

“Yeah,” Killian said. “Bloody hell that hurts...”

“Emma!” Snow shouted.

“You shouldn’t have done that, dearie,” a voice hissed as hands wrapped around her throat.

Standing over her was a spectral, hazy figure projecting up from the gem still clutched in Killian’s severed hand. She gasped, a freezing, numbing pain spreading through her even as her air supply was cut off.

“Get away from her!” Charming shouted, swinging his sword. It passed through the figure, who simply grinned at him mockingly.

“Move!” Regina shouted. From the corner of her eye Emma saw Regina stalking forward, a volley of green bolts flying from her own hand and passing through the figure choking her while Charming scrambled out of her way, dragging Killian over to Snow who began to tend to him immediately. From somewhere in the treasure pile Regina had found a fancy, rune covered staff which she used to support herself as she moved.

“That won’t work, dearie,” the Dark One drawled. “You really don’t know who I am, do you? What I’m capable of. Too bad your mother didn’t tell you about me.”

Fear flickered across Regina’s face. “My mother?”

“Oh yes,” the Dark One said. “I recognize you. We met once. I held you when you were an infant. I was your mother’s teacher after all.”

Regina appeared frozen by this revelation, but Emma gestured feebly, drawing her attention. With a shaking hand Emma managed to point down to the glowing gemstone below the Dark One. Regina followed her gaze and her eyes hardened.

“Let her go,” Regina said firmly. “Maybe I don’t know much about you, lich, but I know enough. I can still hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” he cackled. “Don’t be absurd. I’m not even really here and I’ve crushed you all like bugs. You can’t stop me.”

With a cold smile Regina reached them and raised the staff over her head. “Last chance.”

“Do you really think a little toy like that staff can stop me?” he tittered. “Be careful dearie, or you’ll get yourself killed.”

Without another word Regina brought the staff down hard. The wood shook for a moment before shattering into splinters, and everything went still. Then the world went mad, as a searing blast of light and magic burst forth, throwing everyone in different directions.

Emma gasped in air and blinked back tears of pain. Regina had shattered the staff, and the explosion had destroyed the gemstone, severing whatever connection allowed the Dark One to appear before them. Unfortunately it wasn’t without cost. The entire room was collapsing around them, and with a great rumble the floor gave way, sending them all tumbling into the dark.

Emma’s scream was cut off as she splashed down into bitterly cold water. It was utterly dark, and she was battered against rocks as a swift current from the underwater river dragged them along. The experience was nightmarish, and after an eternity that was mere minutes a light finally appeared, suspended above Regina’s hand.

They were in a tiny, narrow cavern, being swept along by a fast river, but Emma was able to swim over to Regina, grabbing onto the floundering magic user and helping them support each other. “Are you all right?” she called, her ears still ringing from the explosion and suffocation.

Regina looked at her like she was crazy. “I just destroyed a staff of the archmagi and blew up the greatest treasure hoard any of use have ever seen.”

“We’re alive though,” Emma offered.

“For now,” Regina grunted as she was flung into another rock.

“Don’t worry, love,” Killian called. “Rescue is on the way.”

Looking back Emma gasped and almost inhaled water when she saw Killian kneeling at the prow of a rowboat with Snow tending to the stump of his wrist and Robin and Charming rowing it towards them. A minute later they were pulled dripping from the water, and Robin and Charming changed their efforts from racing to catch them to slowing their journey until they had a better idea of what was ahead.

“Where’d you get a boat?” Emma gasped.

Killian shrugged. “Feather charm. Never know when a boat might come in handy.”

“Sorry ‘bout the hand,” Emma said.

Killian gave her a grin. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, love. Better than bein’ the Dark One any longer. Besides, if I’m gonna be a ship captain I’ll look better with a hook anyway.”

“But we lost the treasure,” Snow said sadly.

“Not all of it,” Emma said, pulling out handfuls of gemstones from her pouches. “I grabbed what I could before everything fell apart.”

“You’re not the only one smart enough to have quick hands,” Robin said, waggling his eyebrows and lifting a heavy sack full of treasure before going back to rowing. “We won’t be retiring quite yet I don’t think, but we’ve made a good bit of coin for our troubles. I’m just sorry Regina didn’t find her books.”

“What?” Regina snorted. “Do you really think I didn’t grab every bit of magic I could find? I’ve got months of work to even catalog it all.”

“Well, we failed to stop the Dark One, but we learned a few things,” Charming said. “I guess that isn’t all bad. Besides, what would we have done with that much treasure, anyway?”

“Lots of things,” Killian grumbled good naturedly. “Leave the missus behind next time we hit a big city and I’ll show you, paladin.”

Regina chuckled at Charming’s blush, and soon everyone began to laugh with the relief of such a narrow escape. They were lost on an underground river, and Killian was missing a hand, and they’d managed to anger the apparently still active Dark One without more than some pouches of treasure to show for it, but they were all still alive.

Emma gazed fondly at the others, before locking gazes with a smiling Regina. Maybe she wasn’t rich in money, but for the first time in her life she finally found what she really wanted.

She’d never felt so wealthy.

 

**Author's Note:**

> That was a lot to write in one day. I probably have all kinds of errors that I'm missing from being tired, but I feel pretty good getting this much written. 
> 
> This is based on Dungeons and Dragons style Fantasy Adventuring, with Emma Swan as a Thief, Regina as a Magic User, Robin asa Ranger, Killian as a Fighter, Charming as a Paladin, and Snow as a Cleric.


End file.
